VERA PETERSON
Funeral services for Vera Peterson, 81, of
Aurelia, will be 10:30 A.M. Friday, March 11, 2005, at the Bethlehem
Lutheran Church in Cherokee, with Pastor Jim Steen officiating. Burial
will be in the Good Hope Cemetery, rural Cherokee. Visitation will be
Thursday from 2:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., with the family present from 6:00
to 8:00 at the Redig Funeral Home in Aurelia. A memorial fund has been
established.
Vera died Monday, March 7, 2005, at her home
in Aurelia.
Vera Louise Robertson was born March 25,
1923, in Scott County, Iowa. Her mother died when she was very young,
leaving three boys and three girls of which Vera was the youngest. She
was placed in an orphanage in Ottumwa, Iowa, where she would stay until
she was adopted. At the age of three Gus and Sadie Rud of Cleghorn
adopted her and brought her to Cleghorn where she grew up and attended
school. She graduated from Cleghorn Consolidated School as
co-salutatorian of her class of 1941.
Vera was a very active child who was never
given to defeat in her own mind. She was active in music, playing piano
for her own enjoyment while accompanying soloists. She played many
instruments with the main ones being clarinet and saxophone. Vera was
also active in mixed chorus, girls glee club, town band, and around the
area when needed.
Following graduation, Vera accepted an offer
as bookkeeper and teller in the Cleghorn State Bank until 1945 when she
married. Before her wedding she helped her adopted father with
bookkeeping and “hard labor” at the Rock Island Lumber Yard in
Cleghorn. On September 23, 1945 Vera married Bertil John Peterson in
Cherokee.
Vera was adopted and baptized into the
Lutheran faith, joining Bethlehem Lutheran Church where she was
confirmed in 1939. She became very active in her church, serving as
Sunday school teacher, member of the choir, Sunday school pianist,
member of the Bethlehem Daughters, Missionary Society, served four terms
as president of the Ladies Aid, and one term of WELCA. Vera was a
self-taught organist, serving the church from 1943 to 1980 with the
exception of a few years. She was organist for many weddings, funerals,
and special meetings. Vera had been known to play in most of the
churches in the county and for the funeral chapels when needed.
Preceding Vera in death were her biological
parents, adopted parents, grandparents, one daughter, Sandra Jean, one
grandson, Brian Buenger, and three brothers.
Survivors include her husband of 59 years,
Bertil Peterson of Aurelia, four daughters, Janet Kay and her husband
Norman Buenger of Holstein, Kathy Jo and her husband Ed Oie of Eagan,
MN, Karen Lynn and her husband Willie Hirschman of Spirit Lake, and
Julie Ann and her husband Michael Johnson of Winnebago, MN, nine
grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, one sister-in-law, Ruthann
Copeman of Sun City, CA, and one “son”, Keith Tolzin, who came to make
his home with the Petersons.
